THAILAND
Floods kill six
Floods in the south have killed at least six people and affected tens of thousands of households, authorities said yesterday. The floods, which began on Friday last week, have hit more than 70,000 homes across the provinces of Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, regional officials said. Six people including an 89-year-old woman and a toddler were killed in Narathiwat, province Deputy Governor Preecha Nualnoi said. Another person was still missing following days of intense rain, which sparked floodwaters that reached about 3m in height in some places, he said. Local media footage showed streets submerged by the muddy deluge and residents taking refuge on rooftops.
AUSTRALIA
Cocaine found on beaches
Police yesterday said that they were scouring beaches after mysterious packages believed to contain more than 120kg of cocaine washed up over the Christmas period. A first batch of 39 barnacle-encrusted, 1kg bricks of suspected cocaine was discovered on Friday last week near Magenta Beach, north of Sydney, police said. Since then, another 85 packages of the same size had been spotted along about 80km of the New South Wales coastline, state police said. Police urged people to report any suspicious packages, New South Wales Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Weinstein said in a statement. “Detectives and specialist police are currently combing beaches and coastlines for any outstanding packages and working behind the scenes to make sure we find and hold accountable those responsible,” said Weinstein, who is director of the state’s crime command.
CHINA
US labor reporter sanctioned
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said it had sanctioned Kharon, a US firm founded by former US Department of the Treasury officials that provides data to companies on alleged forced labor in the Xinjiang region to help them comply with US laws. The foreign ministry said it would take “countermeasures” against Kharon and its director of investigations for providing “so-called evidence for America’s illegal sanctions related to Xinjiang.” The Los Angeles-based Kharon said it had no presence in China, so the action was “largely symbolic” and would not impact its operations or ability to service its clients. Kharon said companies depend on its forced labor data to comply with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
JAPAN
Fukushima ruling slashed
The Tokyo High Court on Tuesday ruled that only the operator of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant had to pay damages to dozens of evacuees, relieving the government of responsibility. Plaintiffs criticized the ruling as belittling their suffering and the severity of the disaster. The court also slashed the amount to half of a lower court’s decision, ordering Tokyo Electric Power Co Holdings (TEPCO) to pay ￥23.5 million (US$164,882) to 44 of the 47 plaintiffs. The ruling backpedaled from an earlier decision in March 2018, when the Tokyo District Court held both the government and TEPCO accountable for the disaster, which the ruling said could have been prevented if they both took better precautionary measures, ordering both to pay ￥59 million in damages. Motomitsu Nakagawa, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said he was infuriated by the high court ruling, which he called a “copy and paste” of an earlier Supreme Court decision relieving the government of responsibility.
A beauty queen who pulled out of the Miss South Africa competition when her nationality was questioned has said she wants to relocate to Nigeria, after coming second in the Miss Universe pageant while representing the West African country. Chidimma Adetshina, whose father is Nigerian, was crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania and was runner-up to Denmark’s Victoria Kjar Theilvig in Mexico on Saturday night. The 23-year-old law student withdrew from the Miss South Africa competition in August, saying that she needed to protect herself and her family after the government alleged that her mother had stolen the identity of a South
BELT-TIGHTENING: Chinese investments in Cambodia are projected to drop to US$35 million in 2026 from more than US$420 million in 2021 At a ceremony in August, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet knelt to receive blessings from saffron-robed monks as fireworks and balloons heralded the breaking of ground for a canal he hoped would transform his country’s economic fortunes. Addressing hundreds of people waving the Cambodian flag, Hun Manet said China would contribute 49 percent to the funding of the Funan Techo Canal that would link the Mekong River to the Gulf of Thailand and reduce Cambodia’s shipping reliance on Vietnam. Cambodia’s government estimates the strategic, if contentious, infrastructure project would cost US$1.7 billion, nearly 4 percent of the nation’s annual GDP. However, months later,
The Philippine Department of Justice yesterday labeled Vice President Sara Duterte the “mastermind” of a plot to assassinate the nation’s president, giving her five days to respond to a subpoena. Duterte is being asked to explain herself in the wake of a blistering weekend press conference where she said she had instructed that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr be killed should an alleged plot to kill her succeed. “The government is taking action to protect our duly elected president,” Philippine Undersecretary of Justice Jesse Andres said at yesterday’s press briefing. “The premeditated plot to assassinate the president as declared by the self-confessed mastermind
Texas’ education board on Friday voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools, joining other Republican-led US states that pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education, which is controlled by elected Republicans, is optional for schools to adopt, but they would receive additional funding if they do so. The materials could appear in classrooms as early as next school year. Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott has voiced support for the lesson plans, which were provided by the state’s education agency that oversees the more than
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